


The Ties that Bind

by spacedaydreamer



Category: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer featuring The Legend of Zelda (Video Game), The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
Genre: (also y'know because same world as the rest of the au), Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama, Family Drama, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, in the intro at least, they might not be literal twins but they're still brothers in spirit... so still twin princes au, trust me i've got a plan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-10-10 12:42:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 14,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20528213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacedaydreamer/pseuds/spacedaydreamer
Summary: Born to the long feuding kingdoms of Wind and Rhythm, prince Vaati and prince Octavo never should've been able to meet. One chance encounter was all it would take, and fate's path would be altered drastically... but could that change bring about peace? Or, would it doom their lands forever...





	1. Where the breeze carries

On a special day in the midst of spring, a miraculous occurrence was said to have taken place between the feuding kingdoms of Wind and Rhythm. Identical boys were born to the regents of each kingdom- Octavo to the kingdom of Rhythm which laid below the ground, and Vaati in the kingdom of Winds, standing distant on the surface.

Prince Vaati knew from a very young age of his bloodline, and the trouble it had caused. He’d learned of the demon’s curse, as all princes were set to learn of- but despite the laws of the land, his parents were not cold to him for it. Rather, they wished to remind him that he could still live _despite_ the demon’s curse, just as king Vaalni of old once had.

“Mama… are you there?”

Vaati was no more than six, and had wandered from his room to his parents’. He knew that his father would be busy at this hour, but he’d been lonely. There weren't many people in the castle to talk to, usually... everyone would be busy with their own work and jobs. He didn't want to go around causing trouble, so he usually just kept to himself.

“Yes, my darling light. What is it?”

“I don’ wanna be in my room all alone right now…”

“Oh? Then come and sit here with me, my dear.” Thought the queen had been writing something at her desk, she quickly set down her pen and turned in her chair, waiting for Vaati to climb up onto her lap. He’d done just that, leaning back and staring up at his mother with wide open eyes. “Do you want to practice reading, dear child? You’ve been doing very good at it. Me and your father are both so proud of you.”

“You are?” His eyes shone at the praise, bouncing a little where he sat. “I’ve been working really hard! I wanna be really good at it!”

“And you will be, my dear. You will be.”

The queen reached past him to her desk, picking up a book that’d been resting on it. Though Vaati could read the letters in the words, there were still many words that were too big and unfamiliar- but with each one the queen would sit patiently an explain them for him, never judging.

“Hey, mama… will you sing me a song?”

“Oh, are you bored of reading now?”

“Yeah.”

The queen laughed at his blunt honesty, gently patting his head.

“Very well, then. Why don’t we go elsewhere, though? Your mother’s legs are getting a little sore.”

“Oh. Sorry, mama.”

“It’s quite alright, my dear. How about we go to the gardens?”

“Ok!”

Vaati quite liked the gardens- he thought that they were pretty, and he liked being outside. When he was outside, he could feel the wind so much better… he knew he had wind magic, but he couldn’t do much to control it yet. _That would come in time_, his parents assured him. His father said that he’d been a bit of a late bloomer for his own talents, so perhaps the same would be true for Vaati.

Vaati’s favourite place in the entirety of the gardens was a little closed-off grove, that had a bunch of pretty trees and delicate flowers. It would always be in full bloom in the spring, around the time of his birthday- it made him so happy the first time he’d realized that.

“Sing, mama! Sing, please!”

The queen did as he’d asked, a gentle smile on her face. Vaati sat on the grass, doing his best to sing along- he had no real talent for it, and he would consider himself anything but _good_, but it was _fun._

“Oh? Have a couple of songbirds come to take nest within my gardens?”

“Papa!” Vaati jumped up and ran towards his father when he heard his voice, latching onto the king’s leg in a tight hug. “Mama was singing! Sing with her, papa!”

The king chuckled, smiling. It took him a moment to be able to move- Vaati realized he should probably let go if he wanted his father to go and sit with his mother, sitting back down in front of them both.

He loved when his parents would sing together- though music was no longer celebrated within the land, that didn’t mean it was banned. Some had always held a love of it within their hearts… and his mother was one of those people.

The current queen was not born of noble blood, from what Vaati had heard. He’d been told his mother was a common woman, who’d lived in the capital when she’d been young. But according to what people said, her voice had been so beautiful that the young king had instantly fallen in love upon meeting her in the marketplace one day… he didn’t know how truthful that was, but he _wanted_ to believe the story. It made his parents seem like a fairy-tale, and he liked that thought.

“Now, Vaati- it’s about time for dinner, is it not?” The king just chuckled as Vaati looked up to the sky with surprise, noting that the sun had indeed fallen from its peak. “That’s why I came out, but you two managed to distract me.”

“But we were a pleasant distraction, were we not?”

“Of course, my love.”

Vaati looked away when his parents kissed- _gross_. Which only seemed to make them both amused, a fact that just caused Vaati to pout. Honestly, his parents could be _so_ embarrassing- maybe that was just a thing you could get away with when you were the king and queen? Who knew… perhaps he’d get to find out for himself some day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's time for another fic, and this is yet another one I've been super excited to get done! Now in the middle of this age of separation, it's been time enough for both kingdoms to really settle and become their own entities...
> 
> As usual, a huuuuge shoutout to luckystarman for making this AU with me! Couldn't have done it without you, and thank you for tolerating my throwing ideas at you while writing too. 
> 
> Thank you for checking out this fic! I hope you enjoy it!


	2. A soft calling rhythm

Prince Octavo of the Kingdom of Rhythm had never been terribly good at sitting still. Not even the king could get him to do what he was told, he’d always just done what he wanted. Which could be a mixed bag, for a prince- he’d often practice his instruments and do roughly what was asked… but just as often he’d run off into the tunnels, exploring as much of his kingdom as he could.

Which, to be fair- he _knew_ wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Many of the tunnels near the exits had traps, just in case the seals that protected the kingdom were ever to break. And beyond that, there were plenty of old tunnels that hadn’t been deemed important enough to be kept in good repair… the further you got from the central caves that housed a majority of the kingdom, the more likely you were to find collapsed tunnels and random sinkholes.

But fear meant nothing to a seven-year-old, so Octavo hardly cared about the danger.

It was on a day where Octavo had wandered a little farther than normal that he’d found someplace… _strange_. By all accounts, it looked just like a dead end… but it was almost as if it was just painted, or suspended in place. The young prince had no clue what to make of it, so he’d drawn closer… no traps. Nothing to indicate that this would have some horrible curses… so he’d reached out to touch it.

And his hand passed right through.

Staring in shock, he’d quickly pulled his hand back. His hand seemed fine, but… what had that been? Overcome by curiosity, he’d stuck his hand back through… then his other hand… and then his entire head.

“Whoa!”

It was _bright_ on the other side of the wall- so bright, in fact, that he’d immediately had to squint to avoid being blinded. It was _nothing_ like the dim light from the luminous stones back home… what _was_ this place?!

He’d stepped out into the light as soon as his eyes had adjusted a little bit better, ignoring how the bright light started to sting at his skin. He just dodged into the shadows nearby, and continued to take his time looking around.

“Wow… what _is_ all this stuff?”

“Hmm?”

“Wh-What?” Octavo jumped as he heard another voice, turning to see a woman about the age of his parents looking down at him. “Who’re you?”

“My name is Aria.” The woman smiled, crouching down beside Octavo. “Are you lost, dear child? You seem a little confused.”

“I’m not lost! Just… a little far from home.”

“I’d imagine.” She nodded, before looking to the sky. “You seemed awfully confused. Are you unfamiliar with something around here?”

“Everything! Like… what’s that, up there? That big bright thing!”

“That’s the sun.”

“_Wow…_ and those fluffy white things?”

“They’re clouds. They all float up high in the sky.”

“Amazing… that’s really the _sky?_”

“Yes, it is.” Aria laughed, a light and gentle sound. “You must not be from around here, are you?”

“No, ma’am. I’m from the Kingdom of Rhythm!”

“My… and you came all the way here? You should know, most here aren’t fond of those from the underground.”

“Yeah… I don’t think anyone back home really likes the people up here. But I don’t know why, because _you’re_ really nice!”

“You’re a sweet child.” Aria laughed again, patting Octavo on the head. “Perhaps one day, you’ll get to meet my son.”

“Your son?”

“Yes, he’s a very sweet boy, although a little bit shy. Someone like you may be able to get him to open up better.”

“Huh… well, if I ever meet him, I’ll do my best!”

“Thank you. I’m certain you’d make great friends.”

The two of them spoke for a good little while, Octavo fascinated by this kind woman from the Kingdom of Winds. She seemed to know quite a bit, and she’d even taught him some pretty new songs to sing- he _loved_ singing, so he was more than happy for that!

“Well… I think I should be getting home now. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, you should.” Aria stood up, brushing some dirt from her dress. “And child… do be safe. Be careful in coming here… it wouldn’t do for you to get hurt.”

“Okay, ma’am! I promise I’ll be careful!”

With that, she waved a goodbye, and left. Octavo made his way back home quickly as he could, curious about how the barrier that’d hidden the wall seemed so…. _Flimsy. _What was the point in a barrier if you could just run right through it?

Well, no matter! This would just be his own personal secret, and he wasn’t going to tell _anyone_ else about it. Not even the _king_.


	3. Please don't take my sunshine away

Vaati had been with his mother when it’d happened. They’d been together in her study, Vaati had been showing how much he’d learned in the past weeks. He was already eight years old, and he still had much to learn… but he was happy.

Suddenly though, his mother had started coughing, and couldn’t stop. He’d tried to get her some water, to help her- but she’d quickly passed out, leaving him in a panic. It was all he could do to keep his wits about him when he began calling for aid… terrified as he was, he knew he had a duty to control his emotions. More than anything, that was what he _had_ to be able to do, as prince.

All of his determination broke down as soon he was left alone with his father, though- he’d watched as they carried the queen back to her room, clinging to the king’s leg.

“Papa? What's going on? What happened to mama?”

“Oh, Vaati… your mother is… she is sick.”

“Sick? Then… then she’ll get better really soon, right?”

“It’s… it’s not that sort of sickness, Vaati.”

“It’s… not? What sort is it, then?”

“It’s a sickness she’s had for a very long time. One that… one that cannot be cured.”

Vaati only looked in confusion- that… that wasn’t right. That _couldn’t _be right. Surely there had to be _some_ healer or cleric who knew what to do, right? His father was the _king_, he _had_ to be able to do something!

“That’s… no. No, there has to be a way. Mama’s gonna be alright. Mama… she’s gotta be alright.”

“Vaati, I’m so sorry…”

The king just pulled him into a tight hug, staying there as Vaati started to break down into tears.

“I-Is… is mama… gonna die?”

“I don’t know, Vaati. She… she might.”

“I don’t want her to die! I don’t wanna say goodbye!”

“Neither do I, Vaati. But sometimes, we have no choice in what the fates decree…”

“That’s stupid! I don’t want mama to go!”

But no amount of protests or yelling could change something that was fated to happen, and a part of him _did_ know that. So all he could do was continue to cry, clinging to his father for any semblance of support he could take.

* * *

“Come here, my dear little light.” The queen smiled gently, patting the space beside her on the bed. Vaati nodded and climbed up beside her, trying to keep himself from crying. “My beautiful son… I’m so proud of you. You’ve grown so big.”

“Thank you, mama…”

“I know that you have _so many_ expectations on your shoulders. It will not be easy to carry them all… but I believe in you, my child. I know that you can do it.” His mother pulled him in for a hug, but her hold was so weak… Vaati’s eyes were welling up with tears, and he didn’t know how to stop them. “Please, my dear… do not give up on your hope. The future that you can write… I think you have an incredible potential. I could not be more proud of you.”

“What… what do you mean…?”

“Vaati… will you make your mother a promise?”

“Yes. I will.”

“Good, good… I want you to promise me that you’ll never give up believing in peace.”

“In… peace?”

“The kingdoms of Wind and Rhythm… I do not think we were meant to hate one another. And perhaps someday, things could change… we could learn to get along.”

“But… but they’re _scary_…”

“Have you ever _met_ someone from their kingdom, Vaati?”

“W-Well… no…”

“Promise me you’ll keep an open mind, should you ever meet someone from that kingdom. Okay, my light?”

“……I promise. I promise, mama.”

“Thank you, Vaati… you make your mother so happy.”

She smiled, but her voice was only getting weaker… Vaati looked around in a panic, drawing his father nearer as well.

“Oh, my beloved husband…” The queen’s voice was soft as she looked to the king, who’d sat down on her other side. “Please, look after Vaati.”

“I will, my love. I swear by it.”

“I know… I know. I trust you.”

“I love you, my queen… I will miss you so.”

“Worry not, love… I will watch over you always. You and Vaati both… I will stay with you.”

When the queen finally passed, both Vaati and the king spent a long time crying, holding each other close. It would be the first and last time he ever saw his father cry, and that had almost made everything _worse_\- even his father, who was perfect at controlling his emotions, hadn’t been able to hold back the tears.

Even if his mother had insisted she’d be with them, he knew that nothing would ever be the same. This was too soon, too much- his life could _never_ be the same.


	4. Subjective truth

“Papa… What are we gonna do now?”

Vaati sat in his father’s room, still dressed in his mourning clothes from the funeral earlier in the day. The day had been utterly exhausting to the child- he’d done well in not crying in public. He knew he was expected to not show emotion, that was part of the laws of their kingdom- he couldn’t express himself, because emotions… gave way to the curse.

“We’ll continue, Vaati. We’ll continue with our lives.”

“But… but _how_, papa?”

“I don’t know.” The king looked tired, so tired. “I don’t know. I miss her terribly, Vaati. But… but we have to continue. We cannot let ourselves grow defeated. She would want us to continue living our lives.”

Vaati’s lip trembled, and he was only able to hold it back so long before he finally started to cry. The king just let out a soft sigh, pulling Vaati close for a hug.

“You’re going to be alright, my son… you must learn to dry your tears.”

“I-I’m sorry, papa… I don’t know how…”

“It will come with time. You’re still young… I don’t fault you for not knowing yet. Goddesses know it took me time to figure out.”

“Will… Will people be… mad at me?”

“No, Vaati. You did very well today… admirably.” The king spoke softly, rubbing at his back. “It is not your fault, Vaati… there are just… some laws that not even the king can change. I know it may seem cruel, that you cannot even cry… but we must put our people first.”

“I know, papa. I don’t want to make them worry about the curse on me…”

“They won’t. Not when they see what a wonderful little prince you are.”

“I hope so…”

“I know it, Vaati. And I will help you- even if you cannot express those feelings, you will not be alone.”

Vaati was grateful for that much- he didn’t know _what_ he’d do if he lost his father, too. At the very least, he’d have part of his family… that’s what he needed. So long as he had _part_ of his family, then things weren’t quite as bad.

* * *

“Vaati, there’s something important that I need to tell you about.”

“Yes, father?”

“Please, come with me first.”

Vaati nodded, allowing himself to be brought along to the library. He didn’t think anything particularly… of interest about that, it seemed normal enough- until his father led him to a secret room, a bounty of aged scrolls and texts lining the walls.

“You’re growing older. I think it important that you learn the truth about the demon’s curse.”

“Y-You mean…” Vaati couldn’t help the tremble from slipping into his voice- after all, this was… something he didn’t entirely _want_ to think about. But he knew it was also something unavoidable, considering it was their bloodline. “I… okay. I’m ready, father.”

“Many years ago, this kingdom was known as Windhm. There were twin princes born to it, of wind and rhythm. The prince of rhythm… with his tricks, he drove the prince of wind to madness. He orchestrated his own murder, all for the sake of turning the prince of wind into a demon.”

“That’s… so horrible…”

“Indeed. The king at the time was a cruel man, who’d abandoned his kingdom to protect himself… he, and the cowards who fled with him, went on to create the kingdom of Rhythm. They are nothing but a hive of cowards and sneaks.”

“But… but mama… she said that I should be nice, because I’ve never met them…”

“Your mother… she had beautiful ideals. She had optimism that gave even _me_ hope, Vaati. But the plain truth of the matter is that sometimes, no matter how pretty your words, they cannot change reality. You can wish all you want for things to change, but a wish is only that. A wish.”

“Oh… I… I see…”

“Besides, that is… not the end of it. You see, Vaati… it was the coward king who cursed our bloodline. He ordered a member of his royal guard to slay the demon, but rather than kill him, he damned _us_ to an eternity of torture. He split apart the demon’s soul… one half was sealed away, the other half born again.”

“Born again?”

“As the _true _first king of this kingdom. And all of us since carry his blood, as direct descendants of the demon.”

“I see…”

“But Vaati, there’s something _important_ about this.”

“Even more important?”

“Yes. You see… the reason you may _never_ interact with those of the underground, is that they have the capability to break the seal, and awaken the demon. Their existence is a threat to our kingdom. Their power- over rhythm, over _emotion_, is a danger to our very existence.”

“But I- I don’t want to become a demon… I don’t.”

“You won’t, if you stay far away. That’s why we remain in the palace, and that’s why our people stay far from the underground.”

Vaati nodded in understanding, but he’d admit in his heart… he was terrified. To think, the people from the underground could do that- he’d had no idea. He wanted to keep his promise to his mother, but… but what if that was at the cost of his safety? Of his _people’s_ safety? He couldn’t allow that, _certainly_ not.

“Father… where do all of these books come from? I thought old records were destroyed during the demon’s reign…”

“There were people who did their best to record the truth of the events at the time. It was not easy, given the presence of the traitor knight who resided within the kingdom, but these records are all we have for knowledge of that era outside of verbal tradition.”

“I see…”

If it was all they had, then he supposed… the best he could do was trust in those words, regardless of whether or not they would be perfectly accurate. He would question them, because he was young and that’s what he _did_… but without any other sources, that was all he could do.

And, to be honest, he wasn’t going to take a chance on this. This was more than just a curiosity about the truth of a novel, this was the fate of his entire kingdom, and potentially the entire word. He would take his father’s word as truth, because anything less than that could damn himself and his kingdom in his foolishness.

In truth, Vaati really wasn’t sure how he was supposed to manage the truth about himself. After all, he knew what he was- he was the descendant of a demon, someone who was fully capable of becoming a demon himself. How could _anyone_ really trust themselves with that knowledge?

He knew that his father had done fine- he’d gotten a perfect grip on his emotions, and he’d done very well in becoming king. But Vaati also knew that he was _nothing_ like his father- he was too emotional, and it worried him. He couldn’t allow himself to be ruled by those feelings, because those feelings would open up avenue for the demon to take control of his heart… but whenever he tried to _stop_ feeling things, it was as if more worries popped right up to take their place.

His mother had assured him that feelings were natural, they were a part of life. That he shouldn’t be afraid of himself… but he had to disagree. He knew what sort of monster he was, or could become. He knew that, so he knew he couldn’t ever trust himself.

But hopefully, at the very least, he could be a good enough king.


	5. Inevitable

Octavo didn’t know what to make of his daily life. He was bored, honestly- _dreadfully_ bored. He did his best to keep himself occupied with exploring the tunnels, but things had gotten a lot more strict for him as he’d gotten a bit older- he was _always_ getting tied up with _lessons_ and all of that other boring stuff.

In particular, it was his mom who was the most strict about things. She was always scolding him for running off- granted that wouldn’t _stop_ him, but it got old! Couldn’t she find something _new_ to scold him for? Honestly, he got into trouble in _plenty_ of creative ways. She should get a little more creative with her scolding.

“Octavo!”

It was a day like any other, and he froze at the sound of his mother calling for him. _Busted._

“Yes, mom?”

“Are you not supposed to be at your music lessons at the moment? I believe your instructor is waiting quite patiently for you.”

“O-Oh, uh… well, we finished up quick! So I’m done now.”

One glare was enough to tell him that she didn’t buy that at all, and Octavo broke.

“Uuuuugh. But _moooooom_, it’s so _boring!_ I already _know_ everything!”

“Only a fool thinks he knows everything, Octavo.”

“Yeah, but in this case, I _do!_ How many times can she expect me to practice my scales before I just go _insane?_ I need new music! New theory! New… new _stuff!_”

“Nothing is wrong with the old, Octavo.” His mother’s gaze only sharpened as Octavo mimicked her words back at her, getting him to stop that quickly. “You need to gain more respect for _tradition_.”

“But it’s _boring!_”

“It is _necessary._ You cannot advance if you refuse to learn the basics.”

“I _know_ the basics, mom! That isn’t the problem, we’re just moving _too slowly!_”

“You are just _impatient._”

“You never listen to me!” Octavo spun around on his heel, arms thrown in the air in exasperation. “Never, never, _never!_ What if I wanted to make something _new?_ What if I wanted to do something _different?_ But it’s no, no, _no!_”

“You are still a child, Octavo. You have too much to learn about how the world works.”

“I bet I could figure out more than you! Besides, what is there to learn _here?_ We’re stuck here underground, while the rest of the world is way out there!”

“We are here because it is _safe._”

“It’s _horrid!_ It’s dreary and grey and everyone is _miserable!_”

“Octavo.” The look on his mother’s face managed to silence him, and she knelt down and put her hands on his shoulders. “This land is small and dark, but it is all we have. It is our _home_, and our safety from the cursed people who live on the surface.”

“I know, I know… but what if all that talk of curses and demons is… wrong? What if they aren’t that bad?”

“And you would risk our entire kingdom to find that out?” The queen frowned, shaking her head. “We have a _duty_ to them, Octavo. You are the _hope_ of our people.”

“But… how could I bring hope to a place like this?”

“Octavo… someday, you will free our people.”

“H-Huh? Me?”

“The demon king who forced our people into hiding, Vaati… someday he shall resurrect. And when he does, you will be the one to finally slay him, freeing us of this curse.”

“But… but I don’t want to _kill_ anyone…”

“It is only a demon, Octavo, not a person. You will be saving our people from their plight, and ridding the surface of the monster… only one who bears your soul can do it.”

“I…” Octavo frowned, a little discontent. Of course he wanted his people to be happy and safe, and he’d like nothing more than to help the people up above, too. But… surely his mother was wrong? After all, he’d been to the surface before! And there’d _definitely_ not been any demons that time… he would’ve been able to tell, probably. That lady had seemed more like an angel than a demon… “I’ll find my own way to help people, then! Don’t worry momma, I’ll figure something out.”

“Octavo, wait-“

“It’s alright! I’ve got this!”

Unwilling to listen to more lectures, Octavo simply ran off on his own. If his mother was chasing after him, he didn’t know- he was gone before she could get another word in, leaving the palace and running into the tunnels.

Maybe… maybe he’d just have to prove her wrong, then. He didn’t care if he was prophesied to slay a demon, or something like that- he didn’t want to do that, and he _hardly_ cared what _fate_ said he should do. He was going to carve his own fate!

And honestly, there were _so many_ stuffy old stories about the old demon king and the slain prince, and _his benevolent majesty_ who’d gotten them all _stuck_ in this dump. Octavo wanted to know the truth, he wanted to better understand… but even beyond that, he wasn’t going to give up on the idea of another option.

Who knew? Maybe with a little luck, he could _befriend_ the demon, if it even really existed.


	6. A chance meeting

One of the uses of his magic that Vaati had grown to love was his ability to listen. He’d make good use of it- though he couldn’t leave the castle, he could still imagine what it was like to be so very far away. Anywhere the wind would reach, he could cast his magic… though he still figured he needed a lot of practice at it, he’d gotten pretty good at _that_ part at least.

It was a day just like any other, at least to _start_. He’d been doing as he usually did when he practiced his magic, just closing his eyes and allowing the sound to take him wherever it would. But unlike other days, he found himself following the sounds of something… unfamiliar. It was an instrument, clearly… but one he’d never heard before.

“How odd…”

His voice was soft as he muttered to himself, but suddenly, the music stopped. He let out a small disappointed sigh… such a shame. He’d quite enjoyed listening to it, to whoever had been playing… but he supposed he could hardly just _ask_ them to continue.

“Who’s there?”

Vaati paused, then blinked. He’d heard a voice from the place the music had been, but… was someone there? No, he couldn’t hear any other people, as far as he could tell… that was very odd. Very odd indeed.

“Are you… talking to me?”

“Yes, that voice. Where are you?”

Well, _this_ was a new application of things! He’d never known he could do something like _this_, and was immediately fascinated by the new knowledge.

“I’m… not there.”

“Wow… so then, even the _wind_ will talk? Incredible!”

“N-No, I’m not… I’m not the wind. I’m a person.”

“But… how could you be talking to me if you’re not here, then?”

“I don’t… really know. I’ve never done this before… I think the wind is just carrying my voice to you.”

“Oh.” Vaati just raised a brow at how unimpressed the voice sounded, attempting to find the words to defend himself but not able to do anything in time for the voice to speak up again. “Well, I guess that’s pretty neat still! That’s why they call it the Kingdom of Winds!”

“Aha… well… in a… in a sense, I suppose…”

He knew that even if he technically hadn’t left the palace, this would still likely freak out whichever of his subjects learned that he was prince Vaati- so quickly, he decided that giving too much information would probably be far more detrimental to this conversation. He really didn't want to scare whoever this was away...

And, honestly… he was curious. Beyond just wanting this person to feel safe, he also wanted to know more- it wasn’t like _he_ could go and look around places, after all. He could get a vague sense of things just from how the wind moved through things, but… it was nothing like being there. It couldn’t replace going out and seeing the world. An understanding of a place having trees or bushes was nothing close to knowing what it was actually like to be _there_.

“Say… where you are. Can you tell me what it’s like?”

“Huh?” The voice paused, before letting out a long, pensive hum. “Well… there’s a lot of… of grass? It’s all beneath me. Some other plants I don’t really recognize… oh, and trees! There’s those too! They’re pretty incredible.”

“So then… are you in a forest?”

“What’s that?”

It was Vaati’s turn to be dumbfounded now- how could the voice not know what a forest was? It was pretty basic stuff… there were plenty of wooded areas within the kingdom’s borders.

“You know, a _forest_. With a lot of trees and brush, all growing densely together. Lots of animals live there?”

“Oh yeah, I guess that’s what I’m in then. You sure know a lot about this place! Do you come around often?”

“N-No, I… don’t.”

“Oh. Well, you should! This place is just _amazing_.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“I-I’m…” He found himself panicking, and without much thought, he quickly just threw out a lie. “I’m sick. My legs don’t work right because of it.”

“Oh… well then, I’ll just have to carry you-“

“_No!_”

“H-Huh?”

“I, um… it’s okay. I don’t mind where I am. It’s nice, and my family is nice.”

He hadn’t meant to be so forceful, and he quickly found himself backpedalling. And besides, his insistence was _true_\- he did like the castle. Even with what he was, there were still some nice people… like his father, or the captain of the guard, or some of the few others he’d managed to get the nerve up to talk to.

“Oh, alright. Well, maybe I could come visit you, then-“

“Th-That’s… that’s not going to work.”

“…Yeah, I guess it doesn’t really work on my end, either. I’d probably get in trouble.”

“What for?”

“For being away from home for so long! I’d _definitely_ get in trouble.”

“I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble, no…”

“…Actually, I’ve been out a little longer than I meant to. I, uh… I gotta run! Bye!”

He listened as the odd person ran off, not bothering to follow the sounds to see where he went. After all, he knew this to be a one-time thing… in the future, it’d likely be wise to avoid talking to people. He didn’t know how anyone _else_ would respond, after all.

But still… it had been nice.


	7. See you again

Prince Octavo was, in a word, _fascinated_. The strange voice he’d heard on the wind had him _insanely_ curious- what sort of person was he? Who had he _really_ been talking to? He hadn’t even thought to get a name… what was his life like? He said he was sick and couldn’t use his legs, but he was happy with his family… so what was his family like?

He had a burning desire to _know_, and no real desire to sit still and do nothing back home. All he had were lessons, and he felt like he already knew everything there was to know. Seriously, how hard could being king _really_ be? Their entire kingdom was underground!

Ditching his lessons was no difficult task, and he’d quickly gone back up to the surface. He liked it here, even if it was strange- he had to wear a cloak to keep his skin from getting that strange stinging feeling in the light, and it always took a really long time for his eyes to adjust, but it was still… really good up here.

He wanted his people to be free to come up here, too. He wanted them to not have to stay stuck down below, under the ground. But, he didn’t want to have to _kill_ someone to do that… no way.

“Hey, voice! Are you there?”

Curious, he decided to just speak up and see if the person he’d been talking to before would be around again. He really did want to know more, so hopefully he’d respond…

“Voice? Voice, it’s me! Can you hear me?” a while had passed, and he was beginning to get discouraged. Maybe he’d just gotten lucky that day… what a shame. He really would’ve liked to speak again. “Oh well… maybe next time.”

“Is that… you?”

Octavo’s sadness was gone in an instant at the sound of someone speaking, perking right back up and looking around with excitement.

“Yeah! You’re listening again!”

“I… I am, yes…”

“I’ve been thinkin’ a _ton_ about you! I’ve got a bunch of questions, but first off- what’s your name? I’m Octavo!”

“Octavo is… a nice name.”

“Yeah, so what's yours?”

There was a very long pause, and after a few moments, he realized that he wasn’t going to get a response. Well… that was weird. But okay then, Octavo wouldn’t allow himself to get too down over that. Maybe the voice was just shy? Who knew- maybe he had a really weird name! Was it embarrassing? Heh, that was probably it. With a small laugh to himself, Octavo just shook his head.

“Nevermind then! Say, though- what’s it like where you’re from? I wanna know!”

“Oh, um…” There was hesitation in the voice, and another pause… but this one wasn’t nearly as long, and the voice eventually continued with a response. “It’s… it’s nice. The people I know look after me well.”

“Because you said your legs don’t work, right?”

“Y-Yes… because of that. Even if I can’t leave, everyone is still good to me…”

“Well, I’m glad about that! If they weren’t, I’d have to come and steal you away!”

“P-Please, that isn’t necessary—”

“Hey, it was just a joke.” Octavo raised an eyebrow- had the voice really taken it so seriously? He’d sounded quite worried at that… or maybe Octavo just had a weird sense of humor. He didn’t really know, but wasn’t going to worry himself too much over it. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna take you away. I’ve gotta stay close to home, anyways.”

“Well… what about you? What’s your home like?”

“Uuuuuuuuh….”

Though Octavo didn’t often put full thought into his actions, he knew enough to know that describing the Kingdom of Rhythm to someone from the Kingdom of Winds was… _not_ a good idea. So he quickly started looking around, thinking hard as he could for something that sounded like a plausible option.

“It’s a little village, in the forest! We have a lot of trees. Tons of ‘em. So many that we don’t know what to do with them, yep! Just a big ‘ol pile of trees. I can’t even count how many we’ve got.”

“That sounds like… a lot of trees.”

“It sure is!”

There was a sudden long pause, and Octavo found himself getting a little worried. Why wasn’t the voice responding? How strange… had something come up on his end? As if to answer his question, when the voice next spoke up, he seemed worried over something.

“I’m sorry, but I must go. However… I thank you for speaking with me today. It was… it was fun.”

“Yeah! I’ll see you again later, okay?”

“……okay.”

The wind stirred through the trees as the voice responded that final time, Octavo stretching his arms and trying to catch the full feeling of the breeze. That was something he wished they had more of in his kingdom- the wind, the weather… all of that stuff from the lands above made him more than a little bit jealous.

For a moment, he found himself wondering if that’s why nobody wanted to go to the surface. Would it be better to live their lives forever trapped, not knowing what they were missing?

….no. Even if he’d miss the land above, he wouldn’t regret these trips outside. They only made him more determined to find a way to make their two kingdoms get along, and he knew that something like that couldn’t _possibly_ be a bad thing.


	8. May we never meet again

Vaati had nearly jumped out of his skin when a maid had approached during his little conversation, trying desperately to make it seem as if he’d just been talking to himself. He doubted anyone would find that _too_ strange- he was an odd and lonely little boy, so surely a bit of talking to himself was to be expected.

(It wasn’t like he _didn’t_ do that, either- he was often his only available conversation partner, but he didn’t mind much. In his opinion, he was fun to talk to.)

“Pardon me, young master. But the king was calling for you in his study.”

“Father was?” The maid nodded, and he found himself holding back a sigh. “Very well… I’ll go see him in just a second. I just need to finish something up.”

It was only once the maid had left that he was able to finish up his conversation with the boy… Octavo. It was an odd name, and it honestly felt… _familiar_. As if he’d heard it before, or seen it before… but why? And where? And for that matter, _when?_ He was certain he’d never heard the name Octavo before in his life, and yet it gave the most horrid dense of déjà entendu.

However, now wasn’t time to dwell. He left his room quickly as he could, knocking at the door to his father’s study.

“Come in.”

“You wanted to see me, father?”

“Oh, Vaati. Good.” The king waved him over, motioning for Vaati to sit at a nearby chair. He did as requested, watching with some degree of curiosity. “I believe it about time that we grow more serious about your training in preparation for when you become king.”

“…pardon?”

“I understand that you are still young, but I was around your age when I began to take my preparations for the regency more seriously. There is much to learn, we should not delay things any further.”

Vaati wasn’t certain what to think of that- he wouldn’t say he felt _ready_ to start preparing to be king, that was for certain. He was still too young, wasn’t he? But it was better to be prepared… while the thought of anything happening to his father was terrifying, he knew all too well that some things could not be prepared for or avoided. He’d just have to pray that he wouldn’t lose the only family he had left...

"Very well, father. I understand."

"Good. You area bright child, I'm certain it won’t be too difficult for you.”

“Thank you, father.”

Had he been the type to smile more often, he likely would’ve at the praise… but it was difficult to smile, a lot of the time. He didn’t often want to… although, was that truly a bad thing? After all, he had to learn how to control his emotions properly. Not feeling able to smile was good then, right? He didn’t want to scare people away if he started emoting at the wrong times… he was the prince of this kingdom. He knew better.

Yes, he found himself thinking- it was likely better this way.

* * *

A while passed before Vaati had time to go and listen out his window again. He was either in constant lessons or just too tired- his new training took up a large portion of his time, and the little he had left over was spent studying. However, it wasn’t like that was something he was going to complain about- the more studying he did, the more prepared he would be. He didn’t want his father or anyone in the palace to worry about him… they already had enough to worry about, given his heritage.

When he was finally given moment again to himself, he found himself sitting back out on his balcony. It was nice- the faintest hint of a smile made its way onto his face as the breeze stirred his hair, carrying whispers of things far away.

Obviously, the person he’d spoken to before wouldn’t be there again. He knew better than to expect that… and yet, he’d still gone to listen, _just in case_. Just to prove to himself that there was no possible way-

_Wait, was that his lute?_

“….hello? Octavo?”

“Oh, voice!” The boy Vaati had never met responded near-immediately, his voice sounding quite perky and upbeat. “It’s been a while! Are you alright?”

“My apologies. I’ve been… quite busy. I don’t think I’ll have time to speak to you anymore after this.”

“Aw… that sucks. I like talking to you.”

“I… I’ve really enjoyed speaking with you, as well.”

“Well, even if we can’t talk- we can at least be friends, right?”

“……friends?”

“What, d’you not know what those are?”

“I-I— I know what friends are! I just… um… don’t… don’t have any.”

“Hey, that’s not true- I just said, we’re friends now!”

Despite himself, Vaati laughed. It was soft and short, but he couldn’t help it slipping out- he quickly muffled it, but not before it was audible to his new friend.

“Well… I suppose I have one friend, then. Thank you, Octavo.”

“No problem!” He could almost _hear_ the smile on the boy’s face, and it was hard to stop one from growing on his own face as well. “But hey, voice- if we’re not gonna be able to meet again… can I get a name? Please?”

This question _again_. Vaati had avoided it the last time, because he didn’t want to scare the boy away. But… if they were never going to speak again, then did it truly matter? He didn’t want their last conversation to end on a sour note… but he also didn’t want to leave Octavo wondering forever.

“It’s… It’s Vaati.”

There was a horrible pause, and Vaati felt as though he’d just made a terrible mistake. Of _course_ he shouldn’t have said his name, of _course_ it was a bad idea- and at the response he got, it just sort of confirmed what he’d been thinking.

“Wait… isn’t that the name of the demon king?”

“It… it is…”

“What sort of person would name their kid after _him?_”

“W-Well… that’s…” After a moment, he just took a deep breath and forced his voice to stop shaking. He was prohibited from showing such weakness- his father would likely be disappointed to hear the fear in his voice at this confrontation. He was the prince of this kingdom, he needed to do better. “It’s because… I’m his descendant. I was named for the founding king of the Kingdom of Winds.”

From what he understood, the children of the royal bloodline were all born as vessels to the demon king- all had the potential to awaken him and plunge the world back into chaos, but some were more suitable for possession than others. He was one of the unlucky few who bore that fate… hence why he’d been given the cursed name. It was a reminder of his fate, were he to lose control- something unavoidable. He could never forget his name, which meant he could never forget the burdens on his shoulders.

“That’s… that doesn’t make much sense. I mean… you don’t _seem_ like any sort of demon.”

“……”

“I don’t get it at all… momma _must’ve_ been wrong then. I mean, you hardly seem like the sort of person who’d need to be _slain_.”

“Wh-what?”

“Oh, sorry… I guess that’s a little weird to say.” Octavo gave only an awkward laugh, and Vaati wished so desperately that he could see the other boy’s face just so he could better understand what he was feeling. “I just mean… well, I guess… my mom said my destiny is opposing you. But I don’t really buy that.”

“Wait… are you… are you from… you _are_ from this kingdom, right?”

“Nope. I’m from the Kingdom of Rhythm!”

It didn’t take much for the panic to set in- an instinctive fear for his life at the confirmation, which was almost enough to make him want to run away and hide in his room.

“You- you are?”

“Yep. I’m their prince!”

“Th-Then… then you’re… the key…”

“Key?”

“The one who- the one who’ll bring him back. Who’ll turn me into a monster.”

“Hey, what’re you talking about? That doesn’t sound like anything I’d want to do… why would I turn my friend into some sort of monster?”

“Because- because that’s what the people of your kingdom _do_.” He wasn’t sure how much he believed it, Octavo didn’t _seem_ bad… but why would his father lie? He had no reason for it, he’d only read what was written in those history books to him. And he had no way to know how truthful those old books were… so all he could do was believe them, for the sake of his people. “The Kingdom of Rhythm is a danger. I don’t… I don’t _want_ to turn into that _monster_……”

“…I donno what you’ve been told, but… but I really don’t want to do anything like that to you.” Octavo’s voice had gone soft, lacking the energy he normally carried. “My mom… she said I’m supposed to kill some demon, but you’re not a demon- and I don’t want to turn you into one just so I could _kill _you. I don’t want to kill anyone- I just want _peace_.”

“You want…_ peace?_”

“Yeah! I mean, why should we be separate kingdoms? The wind and rhythm, they can work together- just look at how the wind’s carrying our voices! You can’t have sound without the air, and without rhythm, everything would just be chaotic. Don’t you think the kingdoms would be better together?”

“I-I… that’s…”

“…I guess, I can’t really expect to convince you. But I do promise that’s the truth.”

Vaati sat quietly for a long time- he was reminded of his promise to his mother, and of his own wishes… but quickly, he shook his head. As ideal as peace sounded, it was just an ideal. Not something to hold onto… it couldn’t happen. Not so long as the demon remained a threat.

“I… I think you’re nice, Octavo. And… and I trust that you don’t want to do anything bad to me.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

That’s great! Then-“

“But… I really don’t think we should talk anymore.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Because… because we both have our own paths to follow in life. And it’ll be dangerous for you on the surface.”

“Oh, I don’t mind a little danger!”

“Don’t be stupid, Octavo. If any patrols ever found you… you’d be executed. Not only are you from that kingdom, but you’re their _prince_… you’d be _lucky_ to get dragged back to the castle.”

“Vaati… hey, c’mon…”

“Besides… I really am too busy to be talking anymore. I have a lot of things to learn… and I’m sure that you do too.” His eyes fell, and he tried to keep his voice steady. “I’ll… It was nice to meet you, Octavo. I won’t forget my friend, but… we need to say goodbye.”

“Vivi, _please_-“

“Goodbye, Octavo… thanks for being my friend.”

With that, he stopped listening, and did his best to quell the tears that had started to well up. He wasn’t sure if he’d made the right choice or not, but he hadn’t had any other options… and for the sake of Octavo’s own life, it would be better if they never spoke again.

Hopefully, Octavo could forgive him for that.


	9. Grey Skies

The years seemed to pass by quickly. Vaati found that it became easier to grow into his role as crown prince, all things considered… though it was not always simple to learn, many of the things that were required of him just came with practice. To be the perfect prince for his kingdom, he forced himself to learn how to stop feeling… or at least, he would _try_.

In truth, he knew he’d never be perfect at it. He _wanted_ to do better, to ensure nobody would ever have to worry about him suddenly just… snapping and killing people, but he couldn’t get things to just _go away_.

The worst of it was that sense of sadness, though. The same melancholy he welcomed to wash out the other emotions wouldn’t just go away… it persisted, and his life became one of neutral frowns to hide the way he was feeling on the inside.

At the very least though, it was a sense of melancholy that he could get used to. A sorrow that made every day seem a little bit grey, where he often went through the motions of what he was supposed to do just because he knew it was what he _should_ do… perhaps that was ideal for him? After all, at the very least, he doubted that _sorrow_ would awaken the demon. So it was really the ideal emotion to fall victim to, if he had to be victim to one.

Today was a day just like any other, it would seem. He’d recently started aiding a little bit with certain diplomatic duties, both to help his father with work and to further train himself for the future. It felt slow-going, but he didn’t mind… it still passed the time, and it needed to be done.

“My prince, may I have word?”

“…Captain?” He turned to see the captain of the guard had entered his study, bowing in apology for the intrusion. “Yes, you may. Speak.”

“We’ve been receiving reports of strange sounds nearby one of the villages to the north. People have been complaining about an unknown figure, and are growing worried.”

“I see… have you spoken with my father about this?”

“He is occupied with other work, and told me to come to you.”

“O-Oh.” He was a little surprised to hear that his father would trust him with something that seemed so significant- but at the same time, he felt a slight twinge of happiness. “Well then… please go and investigate further. Ensure the safety of our people first and foremost, captain.”

“Of course. And what of the figure that’s been seen?”

“If this is a misunderstanding, let them off with a warning. Otherwise, return them to the castle so they may face proper proceedings.”

“Understood.”

The captain bowed once again, quickly shutting the door to Vaati’s study. He couldn’t help but wonder… who was wandering around? And why was something like that of such importance that it needed to be brought to the attention of the royal guard? The only suggestion in his mind would be that the village they’d been seen near was too small even for a town watch…

Regardless though, it was the crown’s duty to serve their people, and so even if it seemed odd, he’d do what was necessary to help.

He just hoped that it would be enough to do the trick.


	10. Ill-fated welcome

Octavo was bored.

Ever since that conversation with Vaati, he’d given up on going to the surface. It wasn’t as fun, knowing he wouldn’t be able to speak to his friend. So he’d just decided to suck it up and tried his best to be a good prince… he really, _really_ had!

But it. was. _boring. _He _knew_ most of the stuff that he was supposed to do, and he learned the rest of it pretty quickly. Honestly, their kingdom wasn’t even that big! There was the castle, one big town, and then a couple of small little villages in the smaller caverns… but basically _nobody_ lived in those. Honestly, the most fascinating part of this place were the various _exits_, but it was as if nobody else even saw them.

So on the days where he wasn’t bored out of his mind with his duties, he’d gone right back to exploring. There were still traps he had yet to set off, still tunnels he had yet to map into his mind- but he’d look as long and hard as he had to, so that he could find out _everything_ about his kingdom!

But even _that_ could only last so long… so as the years passed by and the boredom became insurmountable, eventually he broke down, and started wandering up to the surface again. It was a different exit than last time he’d been above ground, and he only liked going out at night… as it was, nighttime was far more gentle on his skin. There was no sun that burned as it shone down on him, at the very least.

Out alone in the dead of night, he liked to sing. Whether or not it was _wise_ was not a question on his mind… it was simply something that he wanted to do. It passed the time, and it made him _happy_\- who knew? Maybe if he was lucky, Vaati would hear it someday, and come talk to him. Or that pretty woman he’d met when he was still very little… he wondered how she was doing. Honestly, he actually wondered if she’d even been _real_\- perhaps she’d just been a figment of his imagination, existing only within his mind… no, he doubted _that_. He trusted his memory, he knew she'd been real.

But regardless of all of those questions, he was still happy just to wander by himself, never too far from home- until the night where it all went south.

He’d been too distracted in his song to notice the sounds of people approaching, although he managed to see them before they saw him. His eyes were far more used to the dark than theirs seemed to be… but it was clear they were looking for someone just from the way they were coming towards him.

Quickly he threw his hood up, but he wasn’t quick enough to escape before he found himself faced with a group of people in armor, the detailed insignia made by filigree leading him to conclude that they were almost certainly _royal_ guards.

Well, shit.

“Hello, sirs. Might I ask what you’re doing out here on this fine evening?”

“We’ve received reports of suspicious activity in this area.” The one with the most ornate armor stepped forwards, staring right through him. “You wouldn’t happen to be from this area, would you?”

“Ah, I am… not, no. But I assure you, good sirs, that I have no intention of causing trouble. I’m but a mere traveler.”

“Who has been setting out in the dead of night?” The lead guard’s eyes narrowed, and Octavo could see his hand twitch for his sword. “Forgive me if I do not believe your words, traveler. Especially when you do not even show your face.”

“O-Oh, that’s… uh…”

“Yes?”

“Nothing! Nothing at all.” He knew he was being suspicious now, but how _else_ was he supposed to get out of this situation? He’d really kinda screwed himself at this point… he really didn’t know what to do. “I, uh… I can show you my face, if you want?”

“Please do, traveler. Forgive me, but I cannot trust a man whose face I cannot see.”

“Yeah, yeah I understand…” the words were muttered under his breath as he slowly took his hood down. Well… if he was going to be ruined like this regardless, then he might as well have pride in himself. “Here. Is that better, sirs?”

The change was immediate- he stiffened as a blade was pointed at his throat, looking awkwardly to the side as he raised his hands in surrender.

“H-Hey there guys, is this really necessary?”

“You are not of this kingdom, are you?”

“W-Well, uh… no, I’m not…”

“What business does one from the underground have with us here?”

“Listen, I’m not planning on causing trouble… I just wanted to get away for a little bit—”

“A likely story.” The guard jerked his head aside, and Octavo quickly found himself surrounded. “You are lucky that I am under orders to bring you back to the castle. Normally, I would not take so kindly to one who poses such a threat to my liege’s life.”

“You mean… Vaati?”

“Do _not_ speak of my prince with familiarity.”

“It’s not for no reason- we know each other! We’re friends, and-“

“_Friends?_” The guard only laughed, sheathing his sword as Octavo quickly found himself handcuffed. “As if I would believe that. The prince would never make friends with someone from your country- unless you’re admitting to attempting to _trick_ him.”

“I would never!”

“Save your breath for the king. _He’ll_ be the one to pass judgement on you.”

It was pretty clear to him that any attempts to speak after this would be pointless, so Octavo decided it would be smartest to just… follow along. Perhaps once he was there, he could make his case- or at least, he’d pray he wouldn’t be executed.

Because if he died, he feared that any chance at peace would die with him.

* * *

The walk back to the castle was a long one, long enough that the sun started to rise before their arrival. He refused to show how the light bothered him, though- even as he could feel his skin start to burn in the light, he didn’t let on.

Honestly, it could’ve been worse. At least, that’s what he told himself- it could always be worse. They could be dragging him on his face, or they could have held him upside down, or made him give a speech in his underwear in front of a whole crowd of people- okay, so _maybe _that last one was unlikely, but it was still something that would be worse than his current situation.

By the time he was dragged into the dungeons, he was honestly grateful to be there. It was far more comfortable than being out in the sun, the damp and dark hallways honestly reminded him _far_ more of home, with only torchlight to illuminate the paths. Not that he needed something like that… but he figured pointing out something like that wouldn’t really help.

He was only given time to rest once he was finally thrown into a cell, his handcuffs unlocked but no more free than he’d been before. Still, it was another welcome change… he rubbed at his wrists, trying to see if they’d gotten bruised from the cuffs and sighing when he saw that they were at least not too bad.

“On your feet, prisoner.”

“H-Huh?” He did as told, but still found himself surprised at the voice. What was happening _now?_ “Yeah? Who’s ther-“

“_Hold your tongue_. You will speak only when asked to respond, understood?”

He nodded, and the guard seemed pleased with that response. It wasn’t much later before a man walked by… though he didn’t seem to wear anything terribly special at the moment, it was clear purely from how he held himself that he had to be the king. Octavo quickly bowed his head, unsure of what to do or why he would find himself face-to-face with the king of the kingdom of Winds…

“Look at me now.”

He did as commanded, and tried not to squirm as the king’s glare grew sharper by the second.

“So, it is true… one of your people really _has_ arrived in my kingdom. My captain has said you claim to be acquainted with my son?”

“Yeah, we, uh… we spoke before, when we were both kids. We’re friends.”

“A _likely_ story.” The king scoffed, turning his back. “You shall remain here until I decide what your fate shall be. But know this- I will _never_ let you turn my son into that _monster_.”

Octavo didn’t even bother trying to argue with the king as he left- he knew there’d be no point or purpose to that, other than ensuring his own death. But still… he _really_ didn’t want that! He didn’t want Vaati to become any sort of monster, so why were people still insisting that?

Terrible… just terrible.


	11. It isn't farewell, it's goodbye

Vaati had heard the guards returning on the wind before he’d seen them, and he hadn’t really thought much of their arrival. He hadn’t even paid attention enough to notice the extra figure with them, and was too busy with his own work to notice how his father had been drawn aside to deal with things.

It was only in the late afternoon, when he finally had a moment to himself, that he’d realized something had happened. And not much longer after that the captain had arrived at his study door, a slightly distant look on his face.

“My prince. Your father has requested your presence.”

“Of course.”

But rather than being led to his father’s study or any sort of meeting room, or even the library, he was instead led down to one of the lower chambers of the castle, connected to the dungeons.

“..Father? Is something the matter?”

“Vaati, I’m afraid I have terrible news. One of those _rats_ from the Kingdom of Rhythm managed to sneak his way up into our lands.”

Immediately Vaati knew his father _had_ to be speaking of Octavo, and he felt a slight tinge of panic start to rise up within him.

“That’s… why are you telling me of this, father?”

“Because we managed to catch him, and yet he speaks of knowing you. Is this the truth?”

“It… it… it is, father.” He looked down to his feet, not wanting the worry and shame he felt to be on display. “We were both children, and I spoke to him on the wind only a handful of times. But…. But I told him to stop coming here- I told him we couldn’t be friends. That he was only a danger to me.”

“Oh, my dear child… why did you not tell me about this?”

“I didn’t… I didn’t want you to get angry with me.”

“I am not angry, Vaati- merely worried for your safety, and glad you weren’t harmed by him. To think, you came so close…”

“Father, I… I don’t…. I don’t think he really intended to hurt me…”

“…You don’t mean to say you _trust_ him, do you Vaati?”

“W-Well, no, of course not-“

“Then what _are_ you saying?”

“I just… well, um… I think he’s too stupid to really cause any harm. So, we could…”

“…Vaati. You cannot be soft with someone of his kingdom. You _know_ what the danger is.”

“I… I know, father.”

“So, you _must_ understand what we must do.”

“I do.”

“…you will be the one to deliver him the news of his execution.”

“W-Wait, me?” Vaati pulled back, shaking his head. “Father, I-“

“I will hear no argument on this. You must understand my reasons, Vaati.”

“……yes, father. I… I shall go at once, then.”

* * *

The trip to the cell where they were keeping Octavo felt painfully long, and even worse given how _horribly_ tight every corridor of this dungeon felt. The design of the place was actually quite clever, there were vents throughout to allow the wind to flow through, which surely had been a request of the demon king… but despite that, it didn’t help how _trapped_ Vaati felt. It was still a horrible little hole in the ground, and it made him feel like he was suffocating.

After an eternity of walking, he finally found himself outside Octavo’s cell. He was sleeping, presumably- from the way he’d slumped over one could almost assume he’d died, but Vaati could feel the air stirring from his breathing.

“…Lift your head.”

“…..ghhh…..snrk- huh?”

After a few rather _undignified_ noises, the boy looked up. Vaati almost did a double-take— they looked _incredibly_ similar, almost as if they could’ve been twins. There were enough definite differences that it was impossible, and it was clear that Octavo was of the Kingdom of Rhythm… but still, it was shocking.

“You are… prince Octavo of the Kingdom of Rhythm, correct?”

“Yeah… tha’s me… hey, you look a lot like me!”

“…”

“And… wait a sec… that voice! You’re Vaati, right?”

“…Yes.” Doing his best to quell the rising sense of guilt in his heart, Vaati continued. “I am to inform you of your fate. For the danger you pose to the peace and safety for all who life within this kingdom… you are to be executed.”

“…huh? Wait… you’re kidding, right Vivi?”

“No, I am not.”

“But… but that’s ridiculous! Look, I know your people think I’m gonna turn you into some kinda monster, or something- but I don’t _want_ to do _anything_ like that! Why would I? I’ve got nothing to gain from something like that, and you’re my _friend_\- I wouldn’t _ever_ do something so horrible to a friend!”

“…That is irrelevant in the eyes of the kingdom. You are a threat, as simple as that.”

“Vaati, _please_-“

“…stop it, Octavo. Just… just stop.” He sighed, his voice soft. “You should’ve known better than to return to the surface. Why did you do it? Why would you do something so _stupid?_”

“…I was bored, honestly.”

“_Boredom_ was enough to make you risk your _life?_”

“W-Well, uh…”

“You are… you are a _fool._”

“I mean, that’s true… but beyond just boredom… Vaati, don’t you think this- that _all_ of this- is foolish? I’ve already told you once before… our kingdoms shouldn’t hate each other like this.”

“I don’t want to hear it, Octavo.”

“You have to _listen_ to me, Vaati—!”

“Just… _leave._ While you have a chance of it. There are no guards nearby, so… so if you can teleport, or any magics like that… just _leave_.” His brow furrowed, and he looked away. “I’ll say I saw nothing. I won’t tell on you. Just… while you have the option, _run_.”

“…No.”

“_No?_”

“I mean… I can hardly do much good if I just run away. Won’t I only be causing you more trouble?”

“This is your _life_ we’re speaking of, Octavo!”

“Eh, I’ll figure the details on that later, don’t worry.”

“You… you absolute _idiot_.” Vaati stalked up to the cell, anger managing to slip through the cracks in his heart and coming out in full force. “You are going to _die._ You will be _executed_. Do you understand what that means? Do you understand that means the _end of your life?_”

“W-Well, uh… yeah, but-“

“But _what?_ You need to use your _brain_, Octavo!”

“…just… just don’t worry about me, ok Vaati? I’ll figure something out, I promise!”

“You… you really are an absolute _idiot._.” He forced himself to breathe, quickly hiding away the anger that’d bubbled out so quickly. It was shameful of him, honestly- that he’d been worn down so quickly, even with how much practice he had at hiding his feelings. “Very well. Do what you wish. I’ve done my duty in telling you of your fate.”

He didn’t stay long enough to pay attention to whether or not Octavo was trying to argue him or call out to him, instead just trying to leave the dungeons quickly as he could. Idiot… his friend was _such_ an idiot… and now, he was going to die.

_Idiot._


	12. Break you, break me

Vaati had not been expecting his father to summon him the next day, and most certainly _not_ back to the same room as before, a ceremonial blade resting upon a desk.

“…Father? What is… what is that?”

“I’ve come to a conclusion, Vaati, which I believe to be the only way to ensure your safety.”

“Yes…?”

“You are to be the one to carry out this execution.”

“H-Huh?!” He couldn’t beat back the surprise in time, quickly doing his best to hide the shock from his face. “I mean… why have you decided that, father?”

“I can see it on your face, Vaati. He is trying to break you down, to make a weakness- that’s where the demon can slip in.”

“F-Father, that’s not…”

“I refuse to lose you, Vaati. I cannot let that _monster_ take hold of your heart. This is for your own good.”

“……Very well, father. I…I understand.”

Before his desire to help his friend was his loyalty to his people, and his love for his family- those both came first. He couldn’t stand the thought of putting his father through that sort of pain again, not after the pain he’d gone through at the loss of his mother… he didn’t want to get possessed by the demon. So whether or not his father’s conclusions were correct… he’d do what he had to.

* * *

Nowhere near enough time had passed for Vaati to _truly_ prepare himself for what was to come, but he still did his best to still his heart when he saw Octavo dragged into the room, hands bound in cuffs. For but a moment, Octavo looked hopeful to see his friend- but that look was dashed at the sight of the king looking down on him.

No words were spoken as Vaati drew his blade, pointing it at Octavo’s neck. He forced his emotions away, that was how he’d been _trained _to deal with these things- and that’s how he managed to keep his face perfectly level, even when he could see the fear in his friend’s eyes.

“You may speak your last words, prisoner.”

“V-Vaati… please… c’mon, you don’t have to do this…”

He knew his heart was ripping in half, but he couldn’t allow that weakness to show. Not now.

“Seriously… _come on_, Vivi. Just… just say something? Please?”

“…”

“_I know you can hear me_.”

“We have nothing to say, prisoner.”

“…_fine_…” Octavo seemed defeated, the energy leaving his shoulders. “Can I… can I have one request, then?”

“…what is it? We shall consider it.”

“Can I… sing something? One last song… before I die?”

Vaati shot a look over to his father, unable to hide the near _pleading_ look on his face for the request to be granted. If he was to die, he hoped that Octavo would at least be allowed to die with his final request granted… after entirely too long a time, his father just nodded, and Vaati turned to look back at him.

“You may. One song, and only one.”

“Thank you… thank you, Vaati.”

He sheathed the blade and took a step back, looking aside as Octavo smiled. More than anything, he wished to just use the wind to block out the sound, to prevent himself from hearing anything at all… but he couldn’t disrespect Octavo’s last wish like that. It would be far too cruel, all things considered.

And so, because of that, he’d been listening with perfect clarity when Octavo began to sing, completely unprepared to hear a song that he hadn’t heard in years- one that his mother had sang for him when he was little, a lullaby for the wind.

Unable to stop himself, tears were quickly rolling down his cheeks as he continued to just stare in shock.

“How… how do you know that song? _Answer me._”

But Octavo didn’t stop singing, leaving only confusion- Vaati eventually managed to break from his stupor, but only after Octavo had finally stopped. Without much thinking, he ran over and just _grabbed_ the boy, shaking roughly as tears continued to stream down his cheeks.

“How did you know that song?! _How?_”

“I-I— I didn’t know it was something special, I’m sorry, I…”

“No, _how?! How did you learn it?!_”

“S-Someone taught it to me once- a woman I met, a really long time ago… I just… I thought it was pretty…”

His mother… Octavo had… Octavo had met his mother? Then… perhaps it was no wonder that he held the same foolish ideals that his mother once had… that same desire for peace that Vaati saw as so hopeless and futile. Octavo had done a much better job of clinging to those ideals than Vaati ever had… he was certain he’d let his mother down, should she even be watching him any longer.

There was no point in even attempting to stop the tears, so instead he merely turned to face his father, shaking his head.

“I-I… father, I… I can’t… please… please, don’t make me do this…”

“Vaati…” There was the slightest hint of sorrow on the king’s face for just a moment- but if you blinked, you may have missed it. His father was back to normal immediately, gently placing his hands on his son’s shoulders. “I should have known better. That monster is trying to pick at your heart, certainly manipulating you with his magics. Allowing you to be in his presence too long was a mistake. My apologies.”

“Wh…what?”

“Forgive me for this, Vaati. But I will free you from the curse he’s attempting to place on you.”

“Father, _no!_”

But he had no time before the king had stolen the sword away, pointing it directly at Octavo. His gaze only hardened, looking at the chained prince with an intense disdain.

“You _shall not_ offer my son up to the demon. I _won’t_ allow it. Now _die for your sins_, prisoner.”

“_No—!_”

Vaati moved before thinking, shoving Octavo out of the way and landing on top of him on the floor. The sword had just barely caught his arm, tearing a long slice through his sleeve that slowly began to ooze blood near the shoulder.

“Vaati! Stand aside!”

“_No_, father!” Gripping his arm he rose to his feet, eyes never leaving the sword. “I won’t. I won’t let you hurt him.”

“Can’t you see he’s _using_ you? His magic is controlling your mind, Vaati—_step aside!_ I’m doing this for _you!_”

“No, you _aren’t!_ He hasn’t done _anything_ to me, father, aside from be my _friend!_” He didn’t care if his voice was shaking, he didn’t care if his emotions weren’t under control- if this weakness meant he’d be possessed by Wrath, _he didn’t care_. Not if it could help his friend. “He’s _never_ tried to hurt me or use me- he’s never done _anything_ like that! He doesn’t need to die, so _I won’t stand aside!_”

“H-Hey…” It was Octavo who spoke up next, much to Vaati’s surprise. He’d finally managed to recover from being thrown to the ground, and though Vaati wasn’t looking he could still hear the worry in his voice, and sense the way the his breathing shook the air with nerves. “Vaati, it’s.. it’s okay. Your dad is just trying to protect you, I don’t blame him for it…”

“Shut _up!_”

“H-Huh?”

“Always saying whatever you want, doing whatever you want… just _shut up!_” He didn’t even know why he was yelling at Octavo now, but it seemed like his emotions were riding too high to be stopped. “I’m not going to let you do something _stupid_ and get yourself _killed_ like some _damned idiot!_”

He only stepped forwards, pressing his throat against the tip of the sword. He ignored Octavo’s immediate protests, only staring directly into his father’s eyes with a hardened determination. He could feel the blood beginning to bead where the sword pressed against soft skin… but he would not let up.

“Well, father? If you wish to kill him, then you must kill me as well.”


	13. Live another day

The silence that followed felt like an eternity. But after entirely far too long, the king finally just dropped the sword, letting it clatter to the ground… and with it, Vaati’s energy vanished.

“Father… father, _thank you…_”

“I could never do something like that to you, Vaati… you’re my _son_.”

He didn’t care that he was crying, and he didn’t care that he’d expressed far too much emotion for a prince of his kingdom. He hadn’t even realized himself _capable_ of getting that loud- all of it was completely exhausting, and he barely even turned when Octavo crawled up behind him.

“Th-Then.. does that… that means…?”

“Yes, Octavo. You’re free to go.”

“Wait… really?”

“Yes, really.”

A tired smile made its way onto his face as Octavo started to cheer, holding Vaati close in a hug. He still didn’t know what to think of any of this, it was far too overwhelming- but he was smiling, pretending that his body wasn’t trembling as the fear for his life finally started to set in. _His father had almost killed him_, hadn’t he? His arm stung and he could feel the blood continue to ooze slowly from the nick on his neck… goddesses, that had been too close. Far, far, _far_ too close.

“Hey, Vaati— you’re bleeding!”

“Oh, it’s nothing serious…”

“Don’t give me that- your majesty, he’s injured!”

The king seemed to be on Octavo’s side in terms of how to deal with what Vaati considered to be very minor issues, quickly sending for the clerics as he checked over Vaati for further injury.

“I’m fine, father…”

“I caused you harm. Vaati, I… I cannot apologize enough. To have pointed a blade at my own flesh and blood… it’s unforgivable.”

“You didn’t want to hurt me, father. I know that.”

“And yet…” the man sighed, shaking his head. “Perhaps… perhaps I am getting too old. My own beliefs and judgement clouded my vision… I had closed off not only my heart, but my mind as well. Vaati… I beg your forgiveness.”

“Father…”

After a few moments (and some difficulty standing, given how shaky his legs were) Vaati made his way over to the king, and simply gave his response in the form of a hug. Though his father’s face did not express much, Vaati knew him well enough to read the smile from how his eyes crinkled up, his mouth pulling into the faintest expression of joy.

He only pulled away once the clerics finally arrived, immediately fussing over his injuries and getting to work on healing him up. They were small enough wounds that they didn’t even scar, much to his father and Octavo’s combined relief.

“Now… Octavo, we should be getting you home.” It was only once he was ‘cleared’ by the clerics that he spoke, turning back to his friend. “I can only imagine how your kingdom must be worrying about you…”

“Wait, but… what about peace?”

“Huh?”

“I mean- surely, we’ve gotta be able to make _some_ changes.”

“W-Well, um…” he looked over to his father, but rather than the expected look of disapproval, his father merely shrugged. It was as close to permission as he was likely going to get in this situation… so he just nodded, looking back to Octavo. “We could… we could try? I doubt my people would take kindly to yours, but… but it would be nice if they didn’t have to remain trapped below ground, would it not?”

“Yeah… I mean, to be perfectly honest… I don’t think my people are in too much of a rush to leave. And sunlight… it kinda burns? My ears are definitely burnt, at least.”

That claim immediately pulled in the clerics’ attention, though Octavo seemed more than a little awkward about that.

“I suppose that makes sense, considering how your people have lived… well, we do not need to expect harmony overnight. Perhaps it won’t be for a long time… but if we could take the first steps…”

“Yeah!” Octavo grinned, nodding. “My mom’s a real stickler for tradition, but I bet I can convince her to listen to me.”

“…do you really think?”

“Don’t worry- I’ll figure something out. And I’ll come back up, too, so keep an ear out for me, okay? I’ll be back before you know it!”

“…okay.”

And when Vaati smiled, he really felt as if things could be alright.


	14. A long road ahead

About a month passed before Vaati heard from Octavo once again, and he was immediately excited to hear from his friend. Though he couldn’t actually leave to go and greet him in person, he was certain to tell the guards to give him a _proper_ welcome to the kingdom this time- he would not be in chains, at the very least.

“So? How did it go, Octavo?”

“Well… it took a while, but my mom at least isn’t trying to say we should declare war anymore!”

“Wh-What?!”

“I’m—_I’m kidding,_ Vaati. I swear.”

“Oh… thank the goddesses….”

He suppose he wouldn’t have _blamed_ the kingdom for declaring war, considering they’d almost executed their prince- but still, it would’ve been a _nightmare_, the complete _opposite_ of what they wanted.

“Anyways… my mom… she doesn’t want to take down the barrier. But she said she’d be willing to at least deal in a little bit of trade, and open communications between our kingdoms…”

“That’s still something good, though.”

“Yeah! Honestly, it’s more than I’d expected from her.”

“…you are… you are _something, _Octavo.”

He wasn’t sure if that was meant as a compliment or not, but he couldn’t help it from slipping out. Octavo didn’t seem to mind it, at the very least… he just grinned, looking around.

“Well! Anyways, I’m gonna be here for a little bit. Why not show me around?”

“H-Huh?”

“Yeah, I, uh… well, I kinda just ditched some lessons, and mom’s gonna be mad. Sooooo…”

“Incredible. Absolutely incredible.”

Had he been the sort, he would’ve rolled his eyes- he could even see the amusement on his _father’s _face, though judging by how Octavo started to squirm, he couldn’t read the same. It was only after they were out of earshot of the king that he turned back to Vaati, looking sharply from side to side to make sure nobody was around.

“Was your dad… mad at me for that?”

“No, he was smiling.”

“That was a _smile?!_”

“Yes, it was.” He offered the faintest hint of a smile himself, though he still felt the need to cover it with one hand. “Large displays of emotion are… frowned upon, for the royal family. My father is far better than I at controlling himself, but… he’s been smiling a lot more, this past month. I don’t think I’ve seen him happy like this since I was a child.”

“Really? Well… I’m glad for you, then! That’s great!”

Octavo slung an arm around Vaati’s neck, pulling him over and immediately taking over their little tour of the castle with his chatter. Vaati just sighed- he honestly didn’t know how they’d ended up becoming friends, but… perhaps it was for the best. He couldn’t say he _disliked_ Octavo, after all.

“Say… do you mind if I take you to meet someone?”

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

“Good.”

Vaati led him down a few more hallways, into one of the galleries within the palace. There were many portraits lining the walls of various members of the royal family, all long dead… but one stuck out in particular. The portrait of a woman, her smile half-concealed behind a hand, as she seemed to be laughing at something they couldn’t see.

“Octavo, this is… my mother. Queen Aria.”

“Aria… wait, that’s…” Octavo stared at the portrait in surprise, before turning to Vaati. “I’ve met her before! Once, when I was really little- I met her.”

“I’d figured…”

“You- you did?”

“That song… the one you sang? It was one that my mother wrote for me. Only people in the royal family _should’ve_ known it… and certainly not someone from your kingdom. She'd often liked to go for walks, a little secret between the two of us... I never realized quite how much she'd wandered.” He laced his fingers together, resting his hands in front of him. “My mother… you remind me of her, in some ways. She was idealistic and kind, and she truly did wish for peace between our kingdoms. Even on her deathbed, she was thinking of others, and of the chance of reconciliation between our peoples…”

“She… she sounds like she was a lovely person. I wish I could’ve known her longer.”

“…I as well.” A gentle sigh escaped his lips, and Vaati just turned his head to the side. “Regardless, though… I’m happy I can take steps towards making her dreams a reality.”

“Hey, and who knows? Things don’t have to stop with us. We’ll just be the start of things- someday, even if it’s not soon, our kingdoms _will_ be able to make things right.”

“Yes… I truly hope so.”

In the future, many would come to speak of the princes who’d managed to bridge the gap between their lands- the two who had become the light of hope for their kingdoms, in the midst of the long age of separation.

Though their kingdoms couldn’t reunite, all was not at a loss- the opening of communications brought new life to both lands, and a hope that in time, perhaps, they could rejoin someday.

But the story of that was still yet to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's another fic done! These two sure do manage to get themselves into a lot of tricky and unfortunate situations... but it's nice when things can turn out well, like they did here. The future in store for these incarnations of Vaati and Octavo will be a happy one... hopefully the same will turn out for the next ones, too.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! I appreciate every kudos and comment across all of these fics, I'm glad that people have been enjoying them! And there's still more on the horizon for this little series- we're not done yet. After all, there's someone who's still waiting to make his grand return... no seal can last forever, after all.
> 
> Until next time, please look forward to it!


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